


Make Me Smile

by orphan_account



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Comfort, Past Child Abuse, Team as Family, Trust Issues, sniper takes care of a kid lmao
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-09 10:58:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14714754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Before Mann Co. is Sniper's journey to find work, money.He finds something else instead.The girl is smarter and more clever than he would have ever expected and what sort of a horrible being would he be if he didn't help her? Unknown to him, she would become more than a companion and sidekick. Over time, the two become family.Then, Mann Co. comes to him with an offer he can't refuse.But what about her?





	1. Chapter 1

Mundy sat at the table of the cafe, eyes focused on a book.

He kept a silent eye on his target, a man drinking coffee and talking rather forcefully to a nervous young girl in a neat, white blouse and pleated schoolskirt. She looked too polite to say no to the disgusting man at least three times her age.  
Now was as good a time as ever, Mundy decided.

He walked over to the bar, swinging an arm around the girl.

“There you are. Your mom was gettin’ real worried there.”  
He pinned the man with a cold, icy stare. The girl shrugged his arm off, smiling hesitantly at him. 

“Ah… Y-yeah, thank you for finding me! I should go now-”

“Hold on there. I was havin’ a talk with this nice girl here, I think you can go back and tell her mama to wait, ya filthy killer.”  
The man fixed him up and down with a sneer. 

It wasn’t strange that he knew who Mundy was.  
He was well known for taking down disgusting men, drug traders, slave traders, child abusers, the list could go on and on. 

Mundy swept the girl behind him with one arm, using the other to push the man back. The girl clutched at the back of his vest, a silent plea not to fight.  
He gave her a quick look, taking in her small frame. Light brown hair framed her face, all green eyes and pale cheeks.

He glared back at the man.

“It ain’t polite to keep a girl waitin’, mate.”  
The girl’s stammered excuses fell on deaf ears as Mundy grabbed her arm and towed her out of the diner. He finally let go when he grabbed onto his hand to push it off.

“I-I need to wait here.”

Hey eyes reflected the sunlight and the marksman thought for a brief moment of marbles on the sidewalk on a hot day.  
His questioning look prompted further explanation but the girl’s gaze flicked down to the baggy sleeves over her blouse. Her mouth tensed into a straight line before she gave him a pleading look.  
“My mom is going to come pick me up soon. Thank you for the help but I can’t leave.”

She moved backwards as she spoke, finally turning on her heel and hurrying back into the small town. Mundy scratched at the back of his neck, pulling his hat off and sighing. That girl was going to get into trouble, he already knew. 

Current target be damned, he’d never let himself live if he turned his back on that girl now. He started the walk back into the diner.

♫❀♫❀♫❀♫❀

What were the chances her mom would show?

Very low, she knew.  
That woman hated her. Moving was the perfect excuse to lose her, to drop her off at a small town and leave her behind for the last time. 

Not that she cared much.

If her mother didn’t show by midnight, Hannah was packing what little belongings she had and walking.  
Where to?

Well, it was a work in progress.

With the fifteen dollars the man had given her earlier (which was more than enough for the two dollar chocolate) she had bought a small sandwich and fruit cup. Instead of eating both however, she saved the sandwich and ate the fruit as she sorted through her things.

A messenger bag with two notebooks and some new pens, paired with a bundle of cash that came to about a total of 150. A knapsack with three complete changes of clothes, a pink pullover hoodie, and a pack of baby wipes.

Definitely not enough money to rent out a hotel room until she could figure her life out and not enough supplies to keep her on the road for long.

By eight pm, strangers had come and go. A few had given her money and food out of sympathy, a few had ignored her, a few had mocked her.  
Hannah had accumulated 188 in bills and coins now but it was still nowhere near enough to support her for more than two weeks. Four more hours, she though, staring at the clock fixed above the diner’s menu.

“You were bein’ serious.”

Hannah pulled her eyes away from the clock and blinked at the familiar face across from the booth table. The man was back again, if he’d even left the first time, all yellow glasses and wonky hat.

“I don’t think she’s coming.”  
Hannah’s voice was soft, resigned. Her mother was probably out of the state by now. What the man was still doing here was beyond her, however.

“Don’t you have places to be?” 

The man chuckled, calling a waitress. She set a mug of coffee in front of him as he ordered a large meal, far too much for one person, but Hannah didn’t notice. She wanted an answer to her question.  
As the waitress left, he turned his attention back to her and took his hat off.

“Well, don’t sound so sad to see me go.”  
He sipped the coffee and thought for a few seconds.

“I’d be a bloody demon for leavin’ you out here on your own. Makes me feel worse now that we know your mum ain’t comin’ back for ya.”  
Hannah leaned back as the waitress dropped off the huge plate of food in the center of the table along with a basket of fries.

“But… What’s your plan? You can’t just stay here forever. You have to leave at some point and it would be stupid of me to keep relying on you.”  
There was truth to her words and both of them knew it.

He pushed the plate of food towards her, taking the basket of fries for himself.

“Eat.”

Hannah hesitated.  
She wanted to, having only eaten fruit hours ago.

The man sighed.

“I already paid, mate, and you really can’t expect a stick like me to eat all this can ya?”  
Hannah picked at the eggs, forking down a mouthful.  
It was good. 

♫❀♫❀♫❀

Mundy nibbled mindlessly on a fry while the girl ate. 

He had half a mind to take her and go but with his job and the countless bounties on his head, it would be a horrible idea.

Worse than leaving her here to rot in a cage of a town in the streets?

He considered the voice in his head and scowled.  
It would be a horrible decision, really, but the alternative was just as bad. Either way, the guilt would destroy him and he’d already gotten this close with her.

“How’d you feel about comin’ along with me?”

To her credit, the girl didn’t seem moved by the offer.  
Instead, she set her fork down and put her head in her hand and narrowed her eyes at him. She was wary, nervous, and a little confused.

“Am I allowed to?”

She sounded more her age now, however old she was, with that silly question. It was enough to send Mundy into a short fit of laughter.  
“Would I be askin’ if you weren’t?”

She shook her head.

“I mean… I guess being your sidekick beats walking around for ages.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's going pretty good... Right?

Her name was Hannah, she was fifteen, she liked swimming and cats, she hated the heat and dark places, she’d taken archery lessons a few times, and she had near photographic memory.

His name was Mundy, he liked animals, he was a professional sniper, and he hated constant irritating noises.

Partially gloved hands gripped the steering wheel as sunlight hit the dashboard. It was becoming dark and Mundy was looking rather tired. 

Hannah, in all her five feet and four inches, didn’t even reach the headrest of Sniper’s passenger seat. She stretched her legs out and frowned.  
“You’ll grow, kid.”

Sniper pointed to the back of his van.

“Feel free to explore a bit, too. ‘S borin’ up here and I don’t have anything back there you could break anyway. Just don’t touch the weapons.”  
Hannah crawled carefully to the back of the cabin and opened the sliding door, taking in the back of the camper. 

It was small, that was for sure.

A tiny kitchen curled around the turn of the van, next to a removable table which was under a small window. The fridge was squashed under some cabinets. Two chairs sat next to the table. Across all of that was a ladder that led to a tiny loft above. A mattress rested there, covered in multiple blankets and pillows. Under the loft was a writing desk, drilled to the floor, and a dartboard.

Poking around, she found the fridge and cabinets partially stocked. As she continued looking around, she found a few sniper’s rifles and a large assortment of blades. A few jars full of mysteriously yellow liquid were stashed in crates under the table.

She reminded herself there was no bathroom here so it was fair.

Hannah made her way back to the cabin where Mundy was, staring unblinkingly at the road ahead. She sat back down in her seat, legs crossed.

“So where are we going?”

“No clue, mate.”

The girl seemed to consider his words before picking his hat off the cabin’s floor. She plopped it on her head and smiled at him.  
“I’m a sniper now, look at me. I shoot things and look cool on movie covers.”

Hannah pretended to shoot things and tipped the hat down before looking up at him with a goofy smile. Mundy spared her a glance before his eyes went back to the road.   
The crooked grin on his face looked out of place but maybe it was just because she had never seen him really smile before then. Hannah settled back into her seat with a huff, hat tumbling off her head.  
“Go ahead and take a nap on the bed. It’s clean, I promise. We’ll be pullin’ up to a hotel soon and I’ll sleep there.”

Hannah made her way to the ladder of the living area and toed off her shoes, placing a hand on the ladder and starting up.  
A box of tissues and two water bottles rested on the far end of the slanted sleeping area. She ignored them, laying down on the blankets and closing her eyes. 

♫❀♫❀♫❀

Mundy rubbed at his eyes, exhaling. 

Too bad he hadn’t thought to pick up any coffee at the last stop they passed. Hannah was fast asleep, he had checked after filling up the tank, and the hotel wasn’t much farther. He pulled into the parking lot at last, locking the doors securely and making his way into the lobby.

“‘Ello, mate.”

It was a nice, clean place with a breakfast area that had been closed for the night. Good. He wasn’t sure if he had food left in his van he could feed Hannah. He placed a wad of cash on the counter.  
“One night, two beds. Ya got any rooms open?”

The receptionist looked through her records before taking the cash and changing it out for a small key. He read the room number and nodded his thanks before turning around to go back out and wake Hannah.

The girl was curled into a ball on top of the blankets, hair sticking to the pillow and fanning out behind her. After some internal debate, he carefully scooped her into his arms and carried her into the hotel.  
He pretended not to see the receptionist’s smile as he made his way to their room, setting Hannah down on the closest bed and sitting on the other.

Feeling older than he really was, Mundy tucked her in and went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. He managed to flick off the light before collapsing onto his bed.

♫❀♫❀♫❀

Hannah sniffed.

It was a hotel, of course it was. They always had a strange scent about them, she realized. It wasn’t unpleasant, she thought as she pulled the sheets back.  
“Oh, good.”

She wrinkled her nose.

Had she really slept in the same clothes?   
Well, then again, she had fallen asleep before Mundy had moved her into the hotel she assumed. Speaking of Mundy…

A quick glance revealed that the man was still asleep, chest rising and falling at an even pace as he rested. Hannah quickly inspected the bathroom.  
It was clean enough. She locked the door before preparing herself for a quick shower, pulling off her dirty clothes.

Feeling better, Hannah sat back down on the bed to brush out her hair using the brush she’d found in the shower.

“Ya got up pretty early.”

Hannah turned.  
Mundy was sitting up now, hair sticking up in all directions and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His vest was off, along with his glasses and hat. She glanced at the clock, which read 8:04 AM.

“Did I? I guess that nap really helped.”

She set the comb down and shook her head back and forth, water spraying across the bedspread. Mundy held his hands up to his face, cringing.  
“Please, Hannah, ya ain’t a bloody dog.”

She stuck her tongue out at him.

♫❀♫❀♫❀

Breakfast was slow.

They headed down after Mundy took a fast shower, a little past 8:20, eager to fill up and get back on the road. Hannah seemed awfully excited to go ‘nowhere’.

“Eat slower, you’ll choke.”

Mundy picked at his own plate, consisting mostly of fruit and two hash browns. Hannah scowled at him and swallowed.  
“I wanna get back out there soon!”

“So do I, mate, but I don’t wanna head out there with a foggy head.”

Hannah considered his words before going back to her meal, slower this time. Every so often she would made a face.  
Not a fan of peppers, he discovered.

They finished eating at last.

Hannah jumped to her feet and started out, leaving Mundy behind to gather his things and return the key. On his way out, a hand settled on his shoulder.

He turned in alarm.

A young woman in purple stood before him, holding a clipboard and smiling politely at him. Distantly, he heard Hannah call his name.

“Hello, Mister Mundy. Do you have a second? I think I have an offer you’d be interested in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on tumblr by the same name :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah has a moment and Sniper thinks a lot

Hannah made her way back into the hotel.

Her eyes scanned for the brown vest of her companion before landing on the familiar fabric. She hurried over, hand landing on the sleeve of his shirt.

“There’s good p…”

Hannah blinked.  
The woman in front of her blinked as well. Mundy seemed to be at a loss for words for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

“This is uh… This is Hannah. She’s my…”

He fumbled with his hands, trying to find the right word.

“Sidekick!”

“Yes, that.”  
He snapped his fingers and ruffled her hair before turning back to the purple clad woman. She wrote something down on her clipboard before looking back up.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Hannah. I’m Miss Pauling. I was talking to your boss here about a job offer.”  
She went back to rambling about prices, duties, so on and so forth. 

Mundy led them to a corner of the lounge in the lobby and listened intently, reading over every paper Miss Pauling handed him.   
Hannah tried her best to listen along.

“There’s professionals on that field, Mister Mundy. I think you’d fit in there. Read over the documents and let me know by next week, Sunday, 10PM.”  
With that, she was gone, leaving behind a manilla folder of documents and descriptions along with a contact card.  
Hannah followed Mundy as he made his way back to the van, helping her into the passenger's side and starting up the engine.

The drive was quiet this time, Mundy obviously deep in thought and Hannah too shy to break the silence. As much as she despised the silence, she despised awkward air even more.

Mundy didn’t even notice her as she slipped into the back of the van to fiddle with the radio on the desk and stare out the window as she listened to the music playing from it.

Eventually, the van stopped and Mundy stepped out of the van to fill up the tank without talking to Hannah.  
The empty van seemed so large all of a sudden.

The discomfort didn’t leave even after she opened the window to watch Mundy hold the nozzle to the van, impatiently tapping his foot against the raised concrete. 

She slammed it shut.

It was too cold to have the window open.  
She sat with her legs up on the seat, head resting on the table as she counted down from one hundred in her head.   
She had counted until negative ten and Mundy had still to return.

Did he leave? Where was he? It never took this long for him to fill up on gas. 

Hannah’s vision began to spin slowly, things becoming sharper and noise becoming muted. Everything felt cold and she couldn’t stop gasping for air, holding herself above the table with shaky arms.  
Where was he? Why did he leave her? Didn’t he say she was going to be his sidekick, his partner, his companion? No, of course not. He was lying, just like her mother did so often. A bitter taste rose in her throat and she forced it down, wiping at tears she didn’t realize had fallen. 

Suddenly, a hand pulled at her waist and yanked her into a sitting position.

“Mate, mate, stop cryin’, I’m right here. C’mon, don’t cry. Calm down. The card reader wasn’t workin’, I had to go inside and pay manually. I’m sorry for leavin’ you out here.”  
A bottle of water was pressed into her hand as she tried to steady her breathing. 

“I wasn’t gonna leave you, Hannah, take a deep breath. Breathe.”

Dimly, Hannah realized how stupid her fear was.   
It didn’t matter to her at the moment though, clinging to Mundy’s sleeve and letting the last few sobs out.

The marksman sat down next to her, hand on the girl’s back as he uncapped the water for her and set it down. How could he not have seen this coming? Hannah had told him, literally told him, that her mother abandoned her.  
He should have told Hannah before disappearing from view. 

Eventually the crying and hiccuping gasps stopped.

“Don’t talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable, mate.”  
Mundy raised a hand as Hannah started to speak. The discomfort on her face was clear and she pursed her lips, looking happy to not have to explain her breakdown.

“Take as long as you need, we’ll be on the road for a while. You know where I’ll be.”

He turned to leave before pausing.  
“These are for you.”

Two adult coloring books, four books, and a tiny handheld bubblemaker were set down on the table before he left at last.  
Hannah had gotten through half of one coloring book and two novels by the next refill, panic attack forgotten and smile back on her face.

Mundy felt a tinge of jealousy at how easy it was for her to move on.

♫❀♫❀♫❀

Hannah watched from the loft as Mundy shuffled through the papers for what had to have been the seventieth time that day.   
“It’s for a job right? You need one so just take it. You said it yourself, nobody else is going to hire you so I mean.”

Hannah shrugged, playing with a newly stolen rubix cube.

As much as he tried to cut the habit, Hannah still stole and lied. Worst of all, it was near impossible to tell when she was lying. He put the files down on the table, standing to stretch. 

“I would. But y’see, ya little bug, it’s a bit of a warzone out there. I don’t want you out there, even if you could handle what you’d see. And I ain’t about to drop you on the streets.”

Hannah scowled.

“Well don’t just turn down an amazing offer just because I’m here. I can… I dunno, I’ve seen a lot. Maybe I can be a, uh, helper? Assistant?”  
She kicked her legs a bit, swinging them back and forth as she leaned back. 

Mundy ducked to avoid a heel to the face.

“We’ll see.”  
Was all he said, carefully making his way around the danger zone of shoes.

Hannah pouted.

“You sound like my dad.”

♫❀♫❀♫❀

“So do you just drive around and hope for the best?”

Hannah was still messing with her rubix cube, frustration drawing her brows in. Mundy couldn’t help but think of an angry squirrel looking at her.  
“Usually? Yeah, ya got it ‘bout right. But we’re actually goin’ somewhere today and we’ll be stayin’ there for a while.”

The cube was in the girl’s lap in seconds, a curious grin on her face as she propped her head up with both arms on the armrest while she stared at him. 

Mundy didn’t speak until the smile on her face became unsettling. 

“Right, right, smile any harder and your bloody face will split in two. We’re headed to a city near Cary, in North Carolina.”  
Hannah finally dropped the smile, sitting back in the seat and picking her cube back up.

“How long will we be there?”

Mundy thought for a few moments, the hum of the engine filling the space between them, before he spoke.  
“Maybe a month or two. I can tell you’re gettin’ bored on the road and I wanted to stock up and rest, find a small job, make some more money.”

Hannah gave him a strange look.  
“You already have a lot from your… Other jobs.”

Mundy glanced at her.

The sheer amount of hope and optimism for the future in her eyes was shockingly bright, expression naturally uplifting. 

If he couldn’t even try to protect that then what did he even take her in for?

“I… Would like a break from driving so much.”  
The flimsy excuse was enough for Hannah apparently. She flopped back into her seat and went back to the well-used toy.  
Eventually she disappeared into the back.

Guilt still pulled at Mundy’s heartstrings.


End file.
